At the Easter Sunday commemoration of George Plant, Ciara McCormack of Thurles delivered a salient and strong reminder that not only do Fianna Fáil bear the responsibility for the recent financial bankruptcy of the State, but that they have a long and demonstrable history of moral bankruptcy too.

Ciara McCormack is Runaí of Sinn Féin Comhairle Ceantair, Tiobraid Árann. She is also studying Social Care in LIT Thurles where she is from, and put her research experience to good use to examine the case of George Plant, and what it teaches us about the harm that Fianna Fáil does in society.

In her oration Ciara McCormack said: “I lived by the core republican ideals of fairness, equality, and social justice before I had ever identified my views as Republican. Irish Republicanism embodies these ideals at it’s core, though most will not make that connection. This is due to the systematic vilification of Republicanism through oppression which carried from British colonialism to the Free State and on into today.”

“I naively held the Department of Education view of history and so knew little of real heroes like George Plant.”

“During one of the most distressing chapters of Irish legal history, the corruption, deceit and manipulation employed by a power hungry Fianna Fáil backed by an equally rotten police force to execute George Plant are as relevant today if we look at those same entities now.”

“The death of George Plant shines a light on a period of history conveniently forgotten by those claiming to be the ‘real Republican party’”.

“A soldier during the Tan War from 1919 to 1921, George Plant later questioned but ultimately carried out his orders during a period of high intrigue often affected by informers.”

“Examining the life and suspicious death by execution of George Plant exposes the deceit and betrayal by the dark force of Fianna Fáil, which has stalked and shackled our people in often brutal repression for almost a century. Even the ‘new’ Fianna Fáil leadership forgets about testimonies extracted at gunpoint”.

“Fianna Fáil collectively betrayed the Sovereign Constitution of 1919, which held sway in the Irish Republic from 1919 to 1922; the betrayal of this document has led us down the dark path we are still on today in this southern ‘Republic’”.

“Fianna Fáil lambaste Sinn Féin about the horrors of armed conflict, forgetting the blood and horror of their own past. This and other behaviours are to be expected from the ever constant chameleon that holds Ireland in a perpetual state of dysfunction.”

“Fine Gael are what they are and they openly destroy our country, but the willingness of Fianna Fáil to stoop to any low low to keep a grip on power still damages the working people of the State.”

“It was in selfish pursuit of power that Fianna Fáil was formed, and their resultant policies ever since have morally and financially bankrupted Ireland.”

ENDS

L-R: Ciara McCormack, Cllr Martin Browne, Joanne Cleere.At the 2017 George Plant commemoration the Oration was delivered by Ciara McCormack, in which she reminded us that “Fianna Fáil are the ever constant chameleon that holds Ireland in a perpetual state of dysfunction”.

Ciara McCormack, Cllr Martin Browne, Joanne Cleere.At the 2017 George Plant commemoration the Oration was delivered by Ciara McCormack, in which she reminded us that “Fianna Fáil are the ever constant chameleon that holds Ireland in a perpetual state of dysfunction”.

At the Annual Easter commemoration of George Plant, Ciara McCormack delivered a powerful account of the fate of George Plant at the dishonest hands of Fianna Fáil, and the fate of the southern ‘Republic’.

The oration reminded the large crowd in attendance of the duplicity of Fianna Fáil and the harm that group have done to our State and to our Nation. As she reminded us, “while Fianna Fáil continually lament and lambast Sinn Féin about the horrors of armed conflict, they conveniently forget the blood and horror of their own past. They are the ever constant chameleon that holds Ireland in a perpetual state of dysfunction”.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said there is no possibility of his party propping up a Fine Gael government.

Gerry Adams TD

Responding to comments on a possible future coalition made by Enda Kenny, the Louth TD said that bolstering the right wing, regressive policies of Fine Gael was now the role of Fianna Fail.

“Fine Gael should stop getting into a tizzy on this issue. The Taoiseach should also stop flip-flopping. I would like to help calm Fine Gael down. There is no possibility of Sinn Fein propping up Fine Gael in government, given their disastrous policies. That is the role that Fianna Fáil have taken on.

“This partnership of Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin has delivered the highest levels of homelessness in the history of the state; new horror stories emerge out of the health system on a daily basis and we have a government that is not only wholly unprepared for Brexit but has no idea how to prepare.

“The Sinn Féin Ard Fheis determines our party policy on coalition. Of course, we want to be in government but not for the sake of it or for having republican bums on cabinet seats. We want to be in government to effect real change in people’s lives.”

The Sinn Féin Tiobraid Árann council team are furious at the rejection by Tipperary TDs of a Sinn Féin Dáil motion last week. The motion was to stop TDs getting a €5000 wage increase over the next two years. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are very much in alliance in councils across the country and more strikingly in the Oireachtas. This latest example of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil joining forces to defeat a motion is further proof that there is only one real opposition voice in the Dáil and that is Gerry Adams and the Sinn Féin Dáil team. Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill voted with the government against the motion. Even in opposition Alan Kelly and his Labour colleagues voted for a pay increase as did Michael Lowry TD. Mattie McGrath TD was absent from the vote but has put on record that he would have voted against the motion had he been present.

The Sinn Féin council team cannot see any justification for TDs voting to increase their own income when Tipperary people are suffering on a continuous basis from the mismanagement of the country by this and former governments. Instead Sinn Féin believe that the use of Dáil time and state funds should be used to address more important issues. There are industrial disputes ongoing with the Gardaí and teachers and Sinn Féin believes that the Landsdown Road agreement is now finished and a new policy must be agreed with all stakeholders. In Tipperary at the moment there is a health crisis, a mental health crisis, a housing crisis, unemployment and youth unemployment levels are very high and economic emigration continues across our towns and villages. These are the real issues.

A joint statement from Sinn Féin Tiobraid Árann Councillors:

“This is an issue of fairness. We are still witnessing a two-tier recovery. The legacy of cuts to pay and public services continues to place enormous pressure on ordinary people and households.

The Lansdowne Road Agreement failed to address the issue of pay inequality for post-2011 entrants, while giving partial pay restoration to those on wages over €65,000.

In this context is it wrong for TDs to jump the queue. The fact that the first repayment to TDs and senators will take place on 1 April 2017 is a joke in very poor taste. Sinn Féin opposed the terms and conditions of the various FEMPI acts. When the legislation was first brought to the House we put forward amendments to reduce Deputies’ pay to €75,000. This was rejected of course, and TDs continue to be very-well paid.

Currently, a public sector worker on an average salary of between €35,000 and €40,000 per annum will receive a less than €20 a week increase or restoration, yet TDs who are on over €87,258, will see their salary rise to €92,672. We do not believe that is justified.

It is unfair that somebody on €30,000 or €40,000 per year, an average wage in the public sector, is getting pay restoration of under €20 while Deputies are expected to take over €100 a week.

Sinn Féin TDs will not take this pay increase even though our motion was not successful.”

Minister Varadkar continues Fianna Fáil’s discrimination against young people – John Brady TD

Sinn Féin Spokesperson for Social Protection and TD for Wicklow/East Carlow John Brady has said that Minister Varadkar has made a clear choice to continue Fianna Fáil’s discrimination against young people.

John Brady TD (Wicklow/East Carlow) and David Cullinane TD (Waterford).

Teachta Brady said: “Yesterday, Minister Varadkar confirmed that the €5 increase in social welfare payments announced in Budget 2017 will go to everyone except those under 26 years of age.

“The increase amount is therefore, dependent on a recipients age alone.

“Those on Jobseekers aged 18-24 will receive an increase of €2.70 and those aged 25 will receive €3.80.

“Under 26s are the one and only group of social welfare recipients set to receive less than €5 in their payment.

“Just as Fianna Fáil singled out this cohort of young people so too is Minister Varadkar.

“Last month Deputy Willie O’Dea criticised the reduced amount for the under 26s and said that Fianna Fáil would work to reverse this. If his party’s concerns are genuine then Fianna Fáil will oppose the upcoming Social Welfare Bill. If not, we will see yet another U turn from the party.

“Unlike, most of what Fianna Fáil have done since the last election their message for under 26s has certainly been consistent – live on your €100 a week and be grateful or emigrate.